CALYXIS

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Human magic-user

Occupation: Sorceress

Group Membership: Leader of an unidentified cult

Affiliations: Formerly Tartessus

Enemies: Dr. Strange, Rintrah, Tartessus

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: An abandoned church somewhere in New York City (presumably Manhattan)

First Appearance: Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 (March, 1993)

Powers/Abilities: Calyxis' native abilities and training are unclear, but she was proficient in using the Talisman of Tartessus to open portals to Tartessus' realm and to mentally enslave others (usually by placing it atop their heads). She could also mentally control the bodies of those whose souls Tartessus had already consumed, though this control could be disrupted by magical probing.

    She was charismatic enough to convince others to participate in ceremonies in which she summoned Tartessus to feed on them.

    She may or may not have been an innocent pawn of Tartessus.

Eyes: Purple irises, red sclera
Hair: Black

 

 

 

History:
(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 (fb) - BTS) - Calyxis was an archeology student earning credits in Spain, searching for answers to her meaningless life. One morning at the dig site she found a 700 year old artifact (the "Talisman of Tartessus") that placed her in communion with the entity Tartessus, who was apparently very near death. Calyxis allegedly rescued Tartessus and then fed her (human souls?) to restore her strength
    Calyxis presumably returned to the USA and gathered a cult, offering to abundantly enrich them with the artifact, granting them new life. Cultists spread the word to others on the street.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 (fb) - BTS) - Tartessus apparently consumed the life forces of those Calysis brought to her.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51) - Agents of Calyxis passed one of her pamphlets on to Rintrah (using an illusion to appear in the form of Humprey Bogart), and he traveled to the church she used as a base, entering in mid-ceremony. The speaker introduced Calyxis, who explained her origins, then began to summon Tartessus. Attempting to disrupt the spell, Rintrah assumed his true form and teleported before the altar, pretending to have been summoned. Many attendees fled, assuming Rintrah to be the devil, but Calyxis was only momentarily startled before regaining her composure and summoning Tartessus, who reached through a portal and grasped Rintrah with its giant hand. Asking Tartessus to wait, Calyxis probed Rintrah's mind and learned that he was connected to a far stronger being, and she decided they could use Rintrah to lure in even greater prey for Tartessus.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 - BTS) - Calyxis sent a number of her cultists to picket outside Dr. Strange's sanctum, and cries of having captured "the horned demon," attracted Strange's attention, and he psychically probed one of the picketers. Realizing the man had no inner life force and was being controlled like a puppet from afar, Strange decided to investigate further.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51) - Her control disrupted by Strange's probing, the soulless cultists fell to the ground, dead. Establishing psychic contact with the perpetrator, Strange caused Calyxis pain.

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 - BTS) - In preparation for Strange's arrival, Calyxis took control of Rintrah's mind.

 

 

(Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51) - When Strange arrived, Calyxis had Rintrah charge him. Strange evaded a series of attacks and ultimately severed Calyxis' control over him, causing him to collapse, but then Calyxis ambushed Strange, placing the talisman atop Strange's head and placing him under control. Her control complete, Calyxis removed the talisman and then summoned Tartessus to feast on Strange; however, Tartessus slapped Calyxis aside as she rushed towards Strange, ignoring her angry cries as she took Strange back to her realm.
    Calyxis was furious at the betrayal, but Rintrah then tore the talisman from her hands, and Calyxis at least seemed to be freed from Tartessus' influence. Stating that she had been forced to commit the atrocities by Tartessus, Calyxis used the talisman to reopen the portal to Tartessus' realm, and Rintrah rushed in and projected a magical bolt that distracted Tartessus before she could complete the consumption of Strange's spirit. Strange and Rintrah narrowly escaped Tartessus through the portal, and Rintrah had Calyxis close the portal, which she did. However, reasoning that the talisman was Tartessus' only way to access Earth, Rintrah -- ignoring Strange's warning that it might be booby trapped -- smashed the talisman, and was rendered a burnt out, apparently lifeless husk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments: Created by Geof Isherwood.

    I'm not convinced that Calyxis was totally under Tartessus' control and forced to do evil. She seemed like she had been willing, but then when Tartessus slapped her aside, she got angry and wanted vengeance. She could easily have been feigning regret when talking to Rintrah to avoid being punished.

    In Marvel Tarot, a number of fairies drew a picture of Rintrah and noted that he was not dead, more like a "cowterpillar in cowcoon. He come back all pretty soon."

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No KNOWN connections to:

Talisman of Tartessus

Described as over 700 years old, it was found on an archeological dig by Calyxis, and it placed her in communion with Tartessus, allowing the demon to influence the young woman to bring her human souls on which to feed. Calyxis used the talisman to allow Tartessus to briefly enter the Earthly plane, claim victims, and then take them to her realm and consume their souls. After Calyxis has used the talisman to trap Dr. Strange, allowing Tartessus to claim him, Rintrah tore the talisman from Calyxis' grasp, apparently severing Tartessus' control over Calyxis. Calyxis then used it allow Rintrah to enter Tartessus' realm to rescue Strange and close the realm upon their return. Rintrah then shattered the talisman to sever Tartessus' sole source of reaching Earth but was rendered seemingly lifeless in the process, his body left scorched and emaciated, his life force drained.

    The talisman allowed Tartessus to enter psychic communion with those who held it, enabling communication between the two, and possibly enabling Tartessus to control the talisman's holder. It could be used by its holder to open portals to Tartessus' realm and to mentally enslave others (usually by placing it atop their heads). It also enabled the holder to mentally control the bodies of those whose souls Tartessus had already consumed, though this control could be disrupted by magical probing. The talisman was essentially a mouthed head, and, when in use, the jaws swung open such that the energy seemed to be discharged from its mouth.

--Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 (51 (fb) - BTS, 51

 

 

images: (without ads)
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51, p4, panel 1 (in robes)
            panel 3 (talisman, closed mouth)
        p6, panel 2 (upper body w/ talisman's mouth opened)
        p8, panel 4 (face close-up)
        p22, background image showing whole body

Appearances:
Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme#51 (March, 1993) - by Geof Isherwood (story & art), Barry Dutter (assistant editor), Mike Rockwitz (editor)

First Posted: 08/04/2007
Last updated: 08/04/2007

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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